NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- New findings
announced today from The Rise of Read-Aloud, the first
installment of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report:
7th Edition, reveal that the percentage of parents
reading aloud during a child's first three months is up nearly 50%
since 2014, and the number of 6–8-year-olds being read to 5–7 days
a week is up seven points since 2016. On February 1st, the global literacy
nonprofit LitWorld and title sponsor Scholastic will unite
people around the world for the 10th annual World
Read Aloud Day (WRAD), highlighting the importance of reading
aloud and sharing stories, and calling on everyone to keep progress
going. While a majority of families (55%) read aloud 5–7 days a
week before a child turns six, this percentage then begins to
decline dramatically—even as research shows read-aloud frequency
can help shape a young child into a frequent reader.
To learn about World Read Aloud Day 2019 and discover more
read-aloud research and downloadable resources, visit:
- https://www.scholastic.com/WorldReadAloudDay
- https://www.litworld.org/wrad
"Through my work with school districts and community partners,
I've seen first-hand the profound power of reading aloud to engage
children, inspire confidence and a sense of belonging, and build
literacy skills, ultimately helping them become lifelong readers,"
said Pam Allyn, Senior Vice
President, Innovation & Development, Scholastic Education and
founder of LitWorld. "World Read Aloud Day is an opportunity to
bring this movement to life and connect people in every corner of
the world through the shared experience of reading
together."
On World Read Aloud Day, students, families, and educators
everywhere are invited to tune in at 10:30
a.m. EST to watch a special read-aloud event live streamed
on the Scholastic Facebook page. Hosted at Scholastic headquarters
in New York City, the event will
feature renowned authors Carmen Agra Deedy (The
Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!), Ross Burach (The Very Impatient
Caterpillar), Sayantani
DasGupta (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond),
Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Star
Wars: Jedi Academy), and Peter H.
Reynolds (Say Something!), who will read excerpts
from their books and answer questions about reading, writing, and
encouraging a love of stories. Approximately 200 students in grades
2–5 from the New York City Department of Education will be in the
audience to enjoy the read-aloud event in person and meet their
favorite authors.
Globally, millions of people will join in the World Read Aloud
Day festivities by also hosting their own unique WRAD gatherings,
including school-wide assemblies, local book drives, community
marches, and more. Through Skype in the Classroom, educators
have the opportunity to register to virtually connect students with
authors for special read-alouds. On social media, participants can
share snapshots of their special read-aloud moments, books, and
ideas using #WorldReadAloudDay.
"It has been thrilling to watch the World Read Aloud Day
movement take hold in over 170 countries all across the globe over
the past ten years," said Dorothy
Lee, Executive Director of LitWorld. "Communities
embrace this day as a call to action for both the seriousness of
the human right to literacy, and the joy we create when we share
stories. Reading aloud is a deceptively simple education best
practice that gets right to the heart of how we can build a world
of empathy and equity when we raise our voices with courage, and
listen to one another with open minds."
On February 7th,
readers everywhere are encouraged to continue reading aloud in
recognition of Harry Potter Book
Night. Started in 2015, Harry
Potter Book Night is an annual celebration in bookstores,
libraries, and classrooms dedicated to passing on the magic of J.K.
Rowling's books to the next generation of young readers, as well as
celebrating with devoted Harry
Potter fans.
The Kids & Family Reading Report: The Rise of
Read-Aloud is the first of three reports encompassing the
7th Edition's wide-breadth of data. Two
additional installments will be released this spring focusing on
the latest trends in children's reading habits, what both kids and
parents want in books, book access, as well as summer reading.
For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global
children's publishing, education, and media company, visit the
Company's media room: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.
For more information about LitWorld, visit:
https://www.litworld.org.
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SOURCE Scholastic